Brian E. Jorde - Trial Attorney

“I don’t like bullies or those that think because they have more money or connections or lobbyists they can take advantage of others, that is why I became a trial lawyer – to level the playing field everywhere possible, one case at a time.”

Jorde has won and settled multi-million dollar cases and has won law-changing appeals relating to constitutional, property, and other legal challenges for clients. Practicing in state and federal courts across the country, Brian feels most at home in the courtroom.

Often in the news and on television for protecting his clients’ rights and never afraid to take on the toughest cases. “Folks present me against-all-odds types of problems and those are exactly the fights I enjoy most.”

A significant amount of national news coverage has been devoted to Jorde’s representation of over 1000 farm and ranch families across the Midwest fighting to preserve property rights and take on big money and big power backing three multi-billion-dollar carbon dioxide pipeline projects. After Jorde’s historic victory in South Dakota against Navigator CO2 Ventures, they terminated their multi-state project. Shortly thereafter, Jorde again beat the billionaires defeating Summit Carbon Solutions. When Summit tried again for a state permit a year later, Jorde defeated them a second time. Prior to this no one had every defeated an interstate pipeline permit project in South Dakota. Jorde is 3-0 in South Dakota and also defeated Summit’s first attempt in North Dakota.

Jorde cut his teeth on large group landowner movements over eleven years fighting and ultimately defeating the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline. “When you see the pain and despair in a person’s eyes at the prospect a giant corporation could take their land for a hazardous pipeline or other unwanted project, you have to help.” But fighting billion-dollar corporations doesn’t stop with pipelines. Jorde is actively engaged in many wrongful death and catastrophic personal injuries cases and high-stakes winner-take-all will contests such as the battle involving heirs of the musician Prince’s over $300 million estate, as well as other large corporate disputes. 

Jorde also brings extensive business experience in real estate development, land issues, and personal entrepreneurship to Domina Law Group. Jorde was raised in Wayne and Omaha, NE. His undergraduate degree in Philosophy is from Vanderbilt University, and his law school education was at Western Michigan University, Cooley Law School in Lansing, MI.

Prior to joining Domina Law Group, he worked for several years in complex commercial real estate areas. His work included notable projects, including negotiations for the sale of property now used for the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, AR. Other major projects included property acquisitions complementary to the international Ambassador Bridge, providing the official NAFTA connection between the U.S. and Canada. He was also involved in environmental issues affecting real estate and successfully completed a rare orphan oil well cleanup project in Michigan without costs to his clients.

“I am fortunate to love what I do. Does it come at a cost? Yes. Does it mean late nights, weekends, and holidays working on complicated legal problems? Yes. Does it mean having large corporations and their allies come for you? Yes. But righting wrongs and winning never gets old.”